Mark George - Queensland Champ
QSRA PR, Queensland Aust. April 12, 2009 - Mark George won the 2009 ‘Polar Ice’ Queensland Speedcar Championship at Maryborough speedway over the Easter week end. A jubilant George greeted the chequered flag punching the air after holding off a fast finishing Brock Dean in the run to the line. It brought to a close two nights of torrid speedcar action.
Stevie Walsh, maximum point’s scorer from the heats, started from pole after Pole Shuffle winner Mark Brown elected to go from position two in the 35 lap main. It was Walsh who went to the front on the green followed by Brown, Michael Harders, George, Doug Cavell and Richard Mules and fourteen others all vying for a spot on the podium. Brown did not allow the Kiwi to pull away and as they caught lapped traffic mounted a challenge.
They snaked their way through cars until entering turn one on the eleventh lap they went either side of a lapped car. Unfortunately Walsh was on the outside and climbed a wheel rolling the John Harders Aggressor/Hawk and bringing on the red lights. Both Walsh and Rob Mackay, son of Ronald Mackay who won this title 30 years ago, sustained damage that finished their campaign.
Mark Brown was now on course to add to his two previous titles, 2004 and 2007, as Mark George, Michael Harders and Richard Mules now had Brock Dean (position 9) breathing down their necks. Another yellow for a spun car saw the field again bunch up as the laps disappeared at a fast rate. The furious pace had claimed a number of fancied runners including Matt Young (NSW), Clayton Walker and Doug Cavell.
The lap scoreboard showed seven to go when Matt Greenwood hit the back straight fence and rolled. The car bounced cage first onto the concrete wall and landed upside down on the track. There were some anxious moments for the lanky youngster when he could feel something hot under his helmet and fearing there was a fire was keen to get out. Apparently some hot leaking oil had run under his helmet causing a nasty burn on his neck. He was okay but later taken to hospital for treatment.
The race was now in its final stanza and about to spring a surprise. On the restart Brown again pulled away from George, Harders and Dean but coming down the back straight on the next lap he slowed and pulled infield. George was the new leader with a small break back to Harders and a very determined Dean. Dean grabbed second with a couple to go and gave chase. He caught the leader but George, who has a reputation of being smooth and unflappable, did not buckle under the pressure and went on to win the 2009 crown.
It is a credit to Mark George and his good friend and car owner Chris Foreman who over the last five years have put together a good car featuring a Breka (NZ) chassis and a 4 cylinder DOHC Porsche engine. Developing the engine themselves and despite it not producing the ‘big grunt’ of the purpose built engines it has proved to be reliable and in George’s hands capable of mixing it with the best. The $3500 first place prize money will give their racing budget a big boost.
Night one qualifying heats saw a lot of surprises. In the first round both Mark Brown and Dene McAllan failed to earn any points. Brown did not start his heat while the West Australian suffered terminal engine damage. Wins going to Matt Young (NSW), Brendan Palmer and Stevie Walsh (NZ).
Brown made amends in round two coming up with maximum points in the Rinkin Motorsport Aggressor/Hawk while Grant Draney pulled in during the same heat with a missing engine. Brendan Palmer looked like backing up his earlier win in heat two until he hit wall in the back straight and rode out a huge roll over. The car was a mess with the back axle broken and every thing else bent or broken. The team had enough spares and set out after the meeting to rebuild the car for night two. Stevie Walsh clocked another win in the final heat of the round from the back of the grid.
Moving into the final round for the night and it went sour for Matt Young in the initial heat. He climbed a wheel and went straight into the turn two fence. It was a hard hit and despite needing a new front end the Aggressor chassis only suffered minor damage. Brock Dean spun backwards into the fence in the same heat but recovered to finish fourth while Brown finished the night with a win and move to third on points. The jovial giant Doug Cavell also finished the night with a win and ended up second on points after the three rounds. Steve Walsh made it three from three in the last heat and along with Mark Brown would go into the title equal favourites.
Overnight Brendan Palmer’s crew discovered chassis damage that could not be repaired and their week end was done. Grant Draney made a phone call to Jason Gray and would buckle up in the Tools 4 Us Breka/Fontana for night two. Bill Foreman had repaired his rear axle. Matt Young was ready to go and John Davidson and Matt Greenwood had sorted out brake issues. Neale Tobin’s crew had fitted a new battery and were hopeful they had cured their engine miss. Rob Mackay had missed night one with a fuel pump problem which was rectified during Sunday.
Mark Brown had his third win after a majestic outside pass on Brock Dean in the final corner. It was Brown at his best. Michael Harders showed he meant business in his last heat which would give him a start in the Pole Shuffle. Stevie Walsh finished the heats with a perfect score with another win from the back.
Pole Shuffle
John Lennon def Richard Mules
Michael Harders def John Lennon
Michael Harders def Clayton Walker
Michael Harders def Doug Cavell
Michael Harders def Mark George
Mark Brown def Michael Harders
Mark Brown def Stevie Walsh
Grant Draney, Rob Mackay, Brett Foreman and Matt Greenwood earned a start in the A main from the ‘B’.
Round 1
Heat 1
1 Matt Young (NSW) 2 Grant Draney 3 Richard Mules
Heat 2
1 Brendan Palmer 2 Mark George 3 John Lennon
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Doug Cavell 3 Clayton Walker
Round 2
Heat 1
1 Mark Brown (NSW) 2 Matt Young (NSW) 3 Richard Mules
Heat 2
1 Brock Dean 2 Mark George 3 Sid Whittaker
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Clayton Walker 3 Doug Cavell
Round 3
Heat 1
1 Mark Brown (NSW) 2 Brad Sloan 3 Mark George
Heat 2
1 Doug Cavell 2John Lennon 3 Michael Harders
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Richard Mules 3 Michael Davidson
Round 4
Heat 1
1 Mark Brown (NSW) 2 Brock Dean 3 Mark George
Heat 2
1 Michael Harders 2 Clayton Walker 3 Sid Whittaker
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Grant Draney 3 Michael Davidson
A Main
1 Mark George
2 Brock Dean
3 Michael Harders
4 Richard Mules
5J ohn Lennon
6 Michael Davidson
7 John Davidson
8 Brett Foreman
Congratulations to the trophy winners and commiserations to those who have a lot of work to do before the next QSRA show at BIS Archerfield on 9 May - the 50 lapper.
QSRA PR, Queensland Aust. April 12, 2009 - Mark George won the 2009 ‘Polar Ice’ Queensland Speedcar Championship at Maryborough speedway over the Easter week end. A jubilant George greeted the chequered flag punching the air after holding off a fast finishing Brock Dean in the run to the line. It brought to a close two nights of torrid speedcar action.
Stevie Walsh, maximum point’s scorer from the heats, started from pole after Pole Shuffle winner Mark Brown elected to go from position two in the 35 lap main. It was Walsh who went to the front on the green followed by Brown, Michael Harders, George, Doug Cavell and Richard Mules and fourteen others all vying for a spot on the podium. Brown did not allow the Kiwi to pull away and as they caught lapped traffic mounted a challenge.
They snaked their way through cars until entering turn one on the eleventh lap they went either side of a lapped car. Unfortunately Walsh was on the outside and climbed a wheel rolling the John Harders Aggressor/Hawk and bringing on the red lights. Both Walsh and Rob Mackay, son of Ronald Mackay who won this title 30 years ago, sustained damage that finished their campaign.
Mark Brown was now on course to add to his two previous titles, 2004 and 2007, as Mark George, Michael Harders and Richard Mules now had Brock Dean (position 9) breathing down their necks. Another yellow for a spun car saw the field again bunch up as the laps disappeared at a fast rate. The furious pace had claimed a number of fancied runners including Matt Young (NSW), Clayton Walker and Doug Cavell.
The lap scoreboard showed seven to go when Matt Greenwood hit the back straight fence and rolled. The car bounced cage first onto the concrete wall and landed upside down on the track. There were some anxious moments for the lanky youngster when he could feel something hot under his helmet and fearing there was a fire was keen to get out. Apparently some hot leaking oil had run under his helmet causing a nasty burn on his neck. He was okay but later taken to hospital for treatment.
The race was now in its final stanza and about to spring a surprise. On the restart Brown again pulled away from George, Harders and Dean but coming down the back straight on the next lap he slowed and pulled infield. George was the new leader with a small break back to Harders and a very determined Dean. Dean grabbed second with a couple to go and gave chase. He caught the leader but George, who has a reputation of being smooth and unflappable, did not buckle under the pressure and went on to win the 2009 crown.
It is a credit to Mark George and his good friend and car owner Chris Foreman who over the last five years have put together a good car featuring a Breka (NZ) chassis and a 4 cylinder DOHC Porsche engine. Developing the engine themselves and despite it not producing the ‘big grunt’ of the purpose built engines it has proved to be reliable and in George’s hands capable of mixing it with the best. The $3500 first place prize money will give their racing budget a big boost.
Night one qualifying heats saw a lot of surprises. In the first round both Mark Brown and Dene McAllan failed to earn any points. Brown did not start his heat while the West Australian suffered terminal engine damage. Wins going to Matt Young (NSW), Brendan Palmer and Stevie Walsh (NZ).
Brown made amends in round two coming up with maximum points in the Rinkin Motorsport Aggressor/Hawk while Grant Draney pulled in during the same heat with a missing engine. Brendan Palmer looked like backing up his earlier win in heat two until he hit wall in the back straight and rode out a huge roll over. The car was a mess with the back axle broken and every thing else bent or broken. The team had enough spares and set out after the meeting to rebuild the car for night two. Stevie Walsh clocked another win in the final heat of the round from the back of the grid.
Moving into the final round for the night and it went sour for Matt Young in the initial heat. He climbed a wheel and went straight into the turn two fence. It was a hard hit and despite needing a new front end the Aggressor chassis only suffered minor damage. Brock Dean spun backwards into the fence in the same heat but recovered to finish fourth while Brown finished the night with a win and move to third on points. The jovial giant Doug Cavell also finished the night with a win and ended up second on points after the three rounds. Steve Walsh made it three from three in the last heat and along with Mark Brown would go into the title equal favourites.
Overnight Brendan Palmer’s crew discovered chassis damage that could not be repaired and their week end was done. Grant Draney made a phone call to Jason Gray and would buckle up in the Tools 4 Us Breka/Fontana for night two. Bill Foreman had repaired his rear axle. Matt Young was ready to go and John Davidson and Matt Greenwood had sorted out brake issues. Neale Tobin’s crew had fitted a new battery and were hopeful they had cured their engine miss. Rob Mackay had missed night one with a fuel pump problem which was rectified during Sunday.
Mark Brown had his third win after a majestic outside pass on Brock Dean in the final corner. It was Brown at his best. Michael Harders showed he meant business in his last heat which would give him a start in the Pole Shuffle. Stevie Walsh finished the heats with a perfect score with another win from the back.
Pole Shuffle
John Lennon def Richard Mules
Michael Harders def John Lennon
Michael Harders def Clayton Walker
Michael Harders def Doug Cavell
Michael Harders def Mark George
Mark Brown def Michael Harders
Mark Brown def Stevie Walsh
Grant Draney, Rob Mackay, Brett Foreman and Matt Greenwood earned a start in the A main from the ‘B’.
Round 1
Heat 1
1 Matt Young (NSW) 2 Grant Draney 3 Richard Mules
Heat 2
1 Brendan Palmer 2 Mark George 3 John Lennon
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Doug Cavell 3 Clayton Walker
Round 2
Heat 1
1 Mark Brown (NSW) 2 Matt Young (NSW) 3 Richard Mules
Heat 2
1 Brock Dean 2 Mark George 3 Sid Whittaker
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Clayton Walker 3 Doug Cavell
Round 3
Heat 1
1 Mark Brown (NSW) 2 Brad Sloan 3 Mark George
Heat 2
1 Doug Cavell 2John Lennon 3 Michael Harders
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Richard Mules 3 Michael Davidson
Round 4
Heat 1
1 Mark Brown (NSW) 2 Brock Dean 3 Mark George
Heat 2
1 Michael Harders 2 Clayton Walker 3 Sid Whittaker
Heat 3
1 Stevie Walsh (NZ) 2 Grant Draney 3 Michael Davidson
A Main
1 Mark George
2 Brock Dean
3 Michael Harders
4 Richard Mules
5J ohn Lennon
6 Michael Davidson
7 John Davidson
8 Brett Foreman
Congratulations to the trophy winners and commiserations to those who have a lot of work to do before the next QSRA show at BIS Archerfield on 9 May - the 50 lapper.